Work and play: mechanisms of art

Yreka artist and business owner Bill Durovchic was recently featured in Popular Mechanics, Russia – the Russian language version of the American magazine – though he has no idea what the article says about him or his art and has not been able to find someone fluent enough to translate it for him.

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By John Bowman

Siskiyou Daily News, Yreka, CA

By John Bowman

Posted Dec. 5, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Updated Dec 5, 2012 at 12:01 PM

By John Bowman

Posted Dec. 5, 2012 at 11:50 AM
Updated Dec 5, 2012 at 12:01 PM

Those who live or work in downtown Yreka may patronize Klander’s Deli on South Oregon Street for their selection of fresh handmade sandwiches and friendly service, but most probably don’t realize that the smiling, bespectacled gentleman who hands them their sandwiches and works the cash register is far more than a cashier.

In fact, deli co-owner Bill Durovchic is actually an internationally known artist recently featured in the October issue of Popular Mechanics, Russia – the Russian language version of the American magazine. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know Russian and has not been able to find anyone fluent enough to translate the four page story about him and his work. He says he was contacted via email by “someone” from the magazine a few months ago.

The email Durovchic received said the magazine would like to do a feature on him for a special section and asked that he send some pictures of his work.

“Whoever the person was, they said they would call me at some point. Well, they never called me. They wrote four pages without asking me anything, so I have no idea what it says,” laughed Durovchic. Naturally, he says he would love to have it translated if he ever finds someone able to do it.

For someone with a four-page feature in a nationally circulated Russian magazine, Durovchic seems to take the whole thing rather lightly as he reclines in a vintage armchair in his Yreka home telling the story of the encounter. For now, he seems to have accepted the idea of not knowing what the article says and has moved on. He is a busy man after all.

Durovchic helps run the busy deli with his wife, Ondia, during the day and in the evening has all manner of art and home improvement projects around the house, not to mention all of the extra work involved in running a family business.

Born in 1954 in Santa Monica, Calif., Durovchic earned a B.A. in Art from Central Washington University in 1978 with a focus in sculpture and jewelry. He says he “hadn’t thought much about art” before that.

“I like machines and I took some classes at a vo-tech school and over the years I acquired machine tools to make stuff,” he says of the early genesis of his artistic style.

Durovchic creates a wide variety of different pieces, most of which have an undeniably mechanical quality, though utility is in no way part of his work.

On his website bio he notes, “The focus of a modern man to produce an object that reduces work or benefits society requires diligence and vision – qualities that severely interfere with my playtime. I am easily distracted, but love to focus on minutiae. Since childhood it has been easy for me to obsess over the workings of machines and their mesmerizing motions. Nothing suits me better than to troubleshoot the tricky mechanics of a gadget made to benefit the few or create new pathways toward inefficiency.”

Page 2 of 2 - He explains that he finds “regular work” to be tedious and unfulfilling, but designing and making mechanical objects brings out a child-like enthusiasm in him.

“I would rather play than work,” he says, “though my play to most observers would appear to be structured and productive labor. I find great reward in creating a more elaborate method to accomplish less, with the crucial elements of style and humor.”

Style and humor are definite aspects of Durovchic’s pieces. One such piece is called the “Wave Generator.” This piece consists of a central box unit mounted on four legs, equipped with a hand-crank on one end that turns a tiny treadmill on the top surface of the box. On top of the box unit, four stacked horizontal rows of tiny doll arms are mounted. The arms are driven by a mechanism attached to wheels resting on and driven by the tiny treadmill. When in motion the collection of doll arms create the “waves.”

At first glance, many of Durovchic’s pieces may appear to be actual useful machines. However, upon closer inspection the humor is evident in the use of doll arms and legs, blinking eyeballs, toy parts and other odd and fanciful items collected at garage sales and flea markets over the years.

In addition to his one-of-a-kind pieces – most of which are already owned by celebrities and collectors – Durovchic also creates and sells production pieces which he refers to as interactive toys. Many of these pieces, which he sells at high-dollar craft shows around the country, are characterized by his common elements of gears, cranks, pistons, bearings and levers. Operating one of these toys is like watching the inner workings of some mysterious machine, the purpose of which is unknown and should not matter to the user wasting time at his/her desk at 3 p.m. on a Monday afternoon.

Durovchic notes that machines have contributed to the rise of civilization, though most people remain unaware of the mechanics of even the simplest mechanisms. He says he revels in those details, though.

“The intricate leads to a path of distraction and distraction is where I live and play,” he explains, adding, “With circular motion I define futility and thus explore the relationship of work and play. My skills and vision generate mechanisms and these machines are the tangible manifestation of an open dialogue from me, the maker, to you, the viewer and participant. I play. You turn the crank. And back around to do it again.”

To learn more about Durovchic and see photos of his work, go to rocketman.info.